Manuel Yambo and Yanely Henriquez start foundation in memory of Angellyh Yambo, killed while walking home from school
NEW YORK - Turning pain into purpose.
The family of a Bronx honors student killed in the crossfire of rival gangs while walking home from school has started a foundation to combat gun violence.
It's the family's way of celebrating her birthday.
A year ago, Manuel Yambo put his arms tenderly around his daughter in her flowing pink dress to dance at her Sweet 16.
Tuesday, her 17th birthday, the only pink was in the balloons at her grave.
Three months after her Sweet 16, Angellyh Yambo was killed by an unregistered ghost gun bought on the internet as she walked home from school. She was caught in the crossfire of rival gangs.
Manuel Yambo hates going to the cemetery.
"I don't want to go there. I don't like going there. I still go all the time, but... but I'm still going to celebrate her birthday," he said.
Angellyh's dad and her mm, Yanely Henriquez, went to Woodlawn Cemetery with a purpose: To announce the establishment of a foundation in her name to fight gun violence. It will fund afterschool programs, assist victims of gun violence through awareness, education and prevention strategies - even push anti-gun legislation.
"We are trying to kind of save lives," Henriquez said. "How many kids have to die for people to do something?"
But for both parents, it's also about preventing other parents from sharing their heartbreak.
"I have this knot, and this feeling, that I just want to explode because I miss her so much," Yambo said.
"You think things will come easy as time goes by. They don't. It's actually harder for me," Henriquez said. "I've been stripped from my daughter, my best friend, my partner, my shopping partner and i'm left empty, broken, missing the most valuable, precious gift I have in life."
Although the goal of the foundation is to keep the streets safe, it's also to keep Angellyh's memory alive.
Mary Hernandez, the CEO of the foundation, says "Every child is Angellyh."
